Jess Learmonth: I Thought I was Too Old And Slow For Super League Triathlon

Jess Learmonth is delighted but stunned by her perfect start to the 2021 Championship Series as she felt she was “too old and a bit slow” to succeed in Super League Triathlon.

Learmonth has taken wins in both London and Munich to sit top of the overall leaderboard with 30 points, two clear of friend and Mixed Team relay gold medal winning teammate Georgia Taylor-Brown who has been second in both events.

She is now a heavy favourite to take the title in her debut Super League season at the age of 33.

She said: “I am absolutely over the moon. Even last week I thought ‘that’s it, and even if I get eliminated I am happy.’

“Winning two I am well happy now. I could come last in the next two and still be pleased. But I want to keep it going because we have got to travel and there will be fresh legs coming in.

“I thought I was too old and a bit slow, but in fact because you have to do it back-to-back-to-back I get better as I go along. As long as it stays fairly long I feel a bit more confident.

Super League Munich Womens Race Jessica Learmonth

“I just need to get faster on my run but people slow down and I seem to get better but I need to be up there before the end.”

Learmonth was strong on the ITT at the start of the Equalizer in Munich, and then grabbed the Short Chute with her strong swim. From then on she was off the front in a solo effort and never looked like getting caught.

“As usual I didn’t know what to expect because of the time trial. I was warming up thinking ‘this is weird, I don’t even know what I’m doing.’ I was really concerned I was going to absolutely hammer it and then die so I tried to conserve energy a little bit,” she said.

“My concern was running down that ramp with jelly legs so I was doing running laps to try and stop it. After that I go from one thing to the next and think about each segment. I had a few nightmares in transition but it worked out alright in the end. I needed the Short Chute and got it.

“I am sure as the weeks progress it’s going to get harder and harder.

“I didn’t think I would be alright with this as it has swim-bike-run and I like it a bit different. It suits me when it’s not a mass start because probably my best is the swim so I can gain an advantage whereas normally I don’t get an advantage. A swim midway through spices it up.”